Homan bounces Jones in Champions Cup women’s quarterfinals
SASKATOON — Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan kept their undefeated streak intact in the Humpty’s Champions Cup.
The double defending champions finished round-robin play as the No. 1 seed and ran their record up to 5-0 following a 6-3 win over Winnipeg’s Team Jennifer Jones in Saturday’s quarterfinals at Merlis Belsher Place.
Homan had complete control during the first half drawing for deuces in two and four while forcing Jones to a single in three to lead 4-1 at the halftime break.
It looked like the 10-time Grand Slam champion Homan was in trouble in the fifth but the skip fired back-to-back double takeouts to bail her team out of trouble and Jones’s only option was a hit and roll to blank.
Jones, who has won nine titles in the series, looked to make a double to score two with her last of the sixth end but crashed out and conceded a couple of points to fall behind 6-1. Although Jones drew for two in the seventh, she shook hands to end the match.
Homan now faces reigning world champions Team Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland, who nipped crowd favourites Team Robyn Silvernagle of North Battleford, Sask., 4-3.
The other semifinal sees Team Kerri Einarson versus Team Anna Hasselborg in a pseudo-rematch of the Players’ Championship final from earlier this month in Toronto.
Team Einarson, from Gimli, Man., scored three in the seventh and stole two in the eighth to dispatch Russia’s Team Alina Kovaleva 8-6 and secure their semifinal spot.
Einarson edged Hasselborg for the Players’ Championship title in an extra end, however, Scotland’s Eve Muirhead is subbing at skip for the Swedish squad this week.
Team Hasselborg scored three in the first and four in the third during an 8-2 win over Winnipeg’s Team Alli Flaxey, who had Edmonton’s Laura Walker filling in at skip.
Suffice it to say, Muirhead has fit in quite well with the reigning Olympic gold medallists as they were practically perfect shooting 98 percent as a unit with third Sara McManus and second Agnes Knochenhauer both finishing at 100 percent.
Earlier Saturday, Walker scored three in an extra end to eliminate Scotties Tournament of Hearts winners Team Chelsea Carey of Calgary 9-6 and Team Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., bounced Regina’s Team Matt Dunstone in a 6-3 set during the tiebreaker draw.
Jacobs will play undefeated Team Brendan Bottcher (4-0) of Edmonton in the men’s quarterfinals.
Toronto’s Team John Epping (2-2) takes on Team Niklas Edin (4-0) of Sweden, Team John Shuster (3-1) of the United States goes up against Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat (3-1) and Team Brad Gushue (3-1) of St. John’s, N.L., meets against Calgary’s Team Kevin Koe (3-1).
The men’s quarterfinals are at 4 p.m. CST (6 p.m. ET) followed by the men’s and women’s semifinals at 8 p.m. CST (10 p.m. ET).
Watch both draws on Sportsnet 360 and online via Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (international).
Both finals are scheduled for Sunday.
Notes: The Humpty’s Champions Cup is the seventh and final Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event of the season. Teams had to win a top tour event in order to qualify for the event. … The total purse is $250,000, split evenly between the men’s and women’s divisions, with the winners earning $40,000. … A new rule is being tested at the event where teams cannot perform tick shots on rocks sitting on the centre line during the eighth and extra ends.
